Dynasty Hot Routes: Tales from Rookie Draft Heaven

The mission of this article is to make our in-house experts sizzle and bristle over the hot-button issues that face Dynasty owners. Our experts make the entire route-tree “HOT” as they address topics from the world of IDP, Devy, Start/sit, Non-PPR (standard), PPR and everything in between. Try not to get burned by all the fiery “YAC” below! This is Dynasty Hot Routes!

Let’s hear about your best Rookie/Devy draft pick value in 2018?

Kyle Francis – @FranchiseKF

I took Oklahoma TE, Grant Calcaterra at 5.06 in a DFF Staff League draft. He was a true freshman last season in Norman and he hasn’t proven himself yet but many on the Oklahoma staff believe he is a more talented pass catcher than former Sooner and current Baltimore Raven, Mark Andrews. Calcaterra is my early favorite be the TE1 in college fantasy for the 2018 season. If he has that type of productivity, next summer he will have an ADP closer to Noah Fant’s current price (1.10 in May 2018, Year 2 of Startup) and I grabbed him in the last-round with a very diluted player pool.

Joshua Johnson – @DFF_Cog

In a Salary Cap PPR/Full IDP/12team league I scored DJ Moore at 2.04 and Royce Freeman at 3.04. There was an LB run and Michael Gallup ended up going 3.05! I also took Sony Michel at 1.04 so I was able to trade Melvin Gordon and his massive salary. In doing I got the #1QB in the league (Russell Wilson) in return for Gordon. Wilson has a salary two million less than Gordon, that makes more cap room for me to pursue other positional upgrades. So, in gaining Freeman, Michel and Moore I have youth on the cheap and I didn’t have to trade my way to three first picks to get them.

In a PPR/Full IDP/14teamer I somehow landed Tremaine Edmunds at 3.02 (30th overall). I am still flabbergasted by this insane value. I have ranked has my 13th overall fantasy player. I was all ready to take him at 2.02 but I went with Josh Rosen instead as Tom Brady is my QB1.

Scott Osterloh – @FF_EvilEmpire

I was able to snag Rashaad Penny at 1.08 in a 2018 IDP league. It’s a superflex league and the owners picking prior to 1.08 were QB needy, so it’s not incredible, but hey, getting a #1 (possible three down) back at 1.08 feels like great value to me.

Ryan Santos – @FFLINX

I was able to get Justin Jackson at 4.12 in a FFPC rookie draft that I won last year with my weakest link being RB. I think Justin Jackson will take Ekeler’s role sooner rather than later and can be a nice bye week replacement/possible flex player.

Matt Walker – @DFF_Walk

I landed Ian Thomas (Indiana, TE) at pick 52 overall in a 12 team IDP SF TE premium league. The Superflex and IDP aspects certainly pushed down Thomas’ value but he’s a guy I can stash for a year or two until Olsen hangs it up. The Panthers reportedly fielded multiple offers but stayed put at 4.01 (1st pick of Day 3) in the NFL draft to land Thomas which shows how much they valued him. Already a plus pass catcher, Thomas needs to shore up his blocking but has Olsen lite upside in the Panthers offense possibly as soon as 2019.

Let’s hear about your worst Rookie/Devy draft snipe?

Kyle Francis – @FranchiseKF

I AM THE SNIPER.

Joshua Johnson – @DFF_Cog

Kyle is indeed the sniper who is always sniping. So is Greg Brandt for that matter. In our DFF Devy league, we drafted 120 Devy players last year. This year I was one pick away from Boston College stallion RB AJ “MotorMuscle” Dillon when Greg crushed my dreams, that was Round 1. Then in Round 2 Greg punctured my soul by scooping up Oregon QB Justin Herbert.

In a 16 team Full PPR/Full IDP (my first rookie draft of the season) I was thirsting for some Jordan Wilkins. However, nobody else seems to care about him at all. So, I traded out of Round 3 for more future picks. My trade partner was longtime friend/big bruh/mentor. That bastard took Wilkins and my other late target J’Mon Moore. I was fortunate enough to do basically the same thing to him in another league. So, when Wilkins goes off we will both be happy, pending we are not playing against each other that week.

Scott Osterloh – @FF_EvilEmpire

In a 2012 startup draft, I really wanted Demaryius Thomas but got sniped by one pick. I ended up taking Aaron Hernandez with the pick, which as we all now know, was a terrible choice.

Ryan Santos – @FFLINX

Can’t think of any off-hand that stand out. If there is a guy I feel I need to have, I am usually aggressive enough to trade up and get them.

Matt Walker – @DFF_Walk

Everyone gets sniped at some point. The @TheFantasyForty pod and I were in The Dynasty Podologists League startup draft where I wanted Jerick McKinnon at 5.07 (I know stealing right). My wonderful co-owners swore he would make it to us at pick 5.11, so we drafted TY Hilton at 5.07 (3 WR required). Who would’ve thought that JET would be selected with pick 5.10? I have not been able to let go of that one yet and it was over a month ago. Doug Baldwin better have a monster year (our 5.11 consolation prize). #sniped #badbeat

Let’s hear about your best EVER Rookie/Devy draft pick value?

Kyle Francis – @FranchiseKF

I picked David Montgomery at 10.04 in a DFF Staff League in June of 2017. For perspective, Lavon Coleman and Troy Fumagalli were the picks before and after mine. I was fortunate that I was early to the Montgomery party and now own him in all my startups. He still has one, maybe two, seasons left before heading to the NFL but now one year removed from that draft, he is a consensus first-round Devy pick in every league.

Joshua Johnson – @DFF_Cog

This is easy! I scored Kevin White 1.04 and Breshad Perriman 2.04 ahead of David Johnson who went 2.05, oh wait that sucked.

My best value is probably scoring Landon Collins 3.05 in 12 team full PPR/full IDP league. Meanwhile, guys like Dante Fowler, David Cobb, Buck Allen, Mike Davis, Devin Smith, Tre McBride, and Stephone Anthony went ahead of him. Collins is an annual top 5 DB option and regression is not in the nearest of futures.

Scott Osterloh – @FF_EvilEmpire

It’s only fitting that I go back to my first ever dynasty draft, where I chose a young TE named Jason Witten at the back-end of a 2009, TE premium, startup draft. Since that late-round choice, Witten has produced 7000+ yards and 41 TDs in his nine years on my squad. For the amount of capital, I put into the pick, the value was astronomical!

Matt Walker – @DFF_Walk

It’s early but I landed Aaron Jones at pick 74 overall in a 16 team IDP Dynasty rookie draft last year. I am of the belief that Jones is BY FAR the best “running back” on the Packers roster. TyMo is best utilized as a COP/3rd back and Williams is merely a breather back with short yardage potential. Jones is a dynamic RB who would thrive in an Aaron Rodgers led offense if given the opportunity and has RB1 upside.

Like this:

I am searching for the meaning of every bump on the pigskin. From leather helmets to a league with no point after attempts, I am researching with a wide shovel.
-married/father/music fan/Raider Nation baby/deli meat enthusiast/three-cone extremist